Moving closer to the edge of the marble platform, the ladies set up a simple picnic blanket padded with comfy cushions on the hard floor. They gathered at the very end, brought out some refreshments, and sat down with their legs hanging off the ledge. Being so high in the sky, the view from up there was more than impressive. Especially now that the golden seal surrounding the realm was visible, its light adding some glow to the previously dark realm.

“The monsters down there must be in panic,” Tina commented while taking a bite of a sandwich, courtesy of Miria’s cooking filled with lots of love and affection. “Most if not all had never before experienced such a sight.”

“That is certainly true,” Umbra confirmed. “The last incident on a comparable scale was most likely Kaguya’s arrival and the following war. It shook the very foundations of our dimension. I have a feeling this might be another occurrence in our entire history that could bring the residents together, united against an unknown. They won’t be able to say if it’s a threat or boon yet.”

Asterios hummed to himself thoughtfully, letting Silvia offer him a bunch of baked potato strips, accepting her cordial feeding with a warm smile. “Now that I look at it, aren’t we right above the facility viewed as the holy grounds by the Darklings?”

Everyone followed his gaze and spotted the faraway image of the ruined terrain with some white fragments poking out of the rubble.

“You are right.” Tina nodded thoughtfully. “Perhaps that’s how they came into possession of this token? Could it have come from here?”

They glanced over their shoulders and examined the closed entrance. It bore some marks of external struggle, but Ast’s party knew how decently durable this mineral was with the golden arrays active. Selene frowned softly and got up, the others watching their sister-mate walk up to some imprints.

She crouched to brush her fingers over the scarred floor. “The way these traces look… It’s not far from the spiritual arts our kin uses… Naturally, many spells and techniques could be based on the same principle so it’s not something I can ascertain, but…”

“It might have been Kaguya’s doing,” Miria finished for her.

“How?” Asterios rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Maybe she somehow made it past the illusory barrier and tried forcing her way in?” Althea theorized. “No one can be sure she hasn’t made an appearance between the layers. What if the scene of her arrival that the residents share in their stories isn’t the first time she was transferred here by Asterios’ father?”

“I could see him pulling her out and trying again after she described these things to him,” the fox lady agreed. “If he was as careful as we saw him be throughout the memories, I wouldn’t put it past him to choose not to mess with a spell this massive.”

“So, she attacked the door, and then what?” Tina tilted her head curiously. “Hit it hard enough for the badge to be shattered and fall to the surface? Or get thrown away after she couldn’t do anything with it?”

“Sounds like a plausible explanation,” Abyss commented. “We would need to visit more of the suspended fortresses to confirm it.”

“Speaking of which, am I the only one who thinks the position of the underground hubs is not accidental?” Asterios pointed out. “I can’t say anything about the other ones, but we are right above it. This seems intentional and I wonder if the other ones we hit are under these structures too. It might be related to the clusters and the seal.”

“Professor would have loved to crack into this.” Tina let out a quiet giggle. “She will be so disappointed at missing such a fun puzzle.”

“I’m sure Master will be able to make it up to her, right, Master?” Miria grinned at Asterios knowingly.

Smirking softly, he gently twirled her fluffy tail between his fingers. “Definitely. She has to be working hard to show how useful she is so it’s not even a question. I’ll need to spend some time with her and Bryn.”

“That won’t be an issue after we return.” Silvia smiled at him mysteriously. “Our winged friend will have the perfect opportunity for that.”

He didn’t ask for any details, knowing that they would have shared those if it was something he should know. Instead, this definitely was one of the situations where the ladies hoped to keep their mouths shut until the arrival of what they were talking about. So, Asterios didn’t mind waiting to witness whatever scheme his girls were cooking up behind his back. Even if sometimes a tad troublesome, they were always enjoyable and with his best interest in mind.

Hopefully, it wouldn’t turn into too big of a deal.

Turning his face up for a change, he stared at the shimmering shield far above them. “You previously said that it wasn’t possible to do anything to the seal from the outside, Abyss. But, since we are now inside and even uncovered what looks like the framework upholding it, can’t you just destroy it from here or something? Using those powerful spells?”

She faced him, literally, as she floated before them all in a space a bit of distance from the ledge.

“I wouldn’t think destroying something of uncertain role and function would be this high on your list of first choices,” the dark-skinned lady replied matter-of-factly.

“Honestly, it most likely wouldn’t have even made it to the last spot, but we are in completely different leagues, aren’t we?” Asterios scratched his cheek as he looked at the powerful entity currently accompanying them.

“You and your silly persistence in perceiving me as some kind of a goddess.” Abyss shook her head slowly, which appeared closer to turning it repeatedly instead. “I’m just a fairly powerful individual and that’s all. The fact that I was able to nurture a small realm doesn’t mean I can annihilate another if I wished to. There is also the matter of my affinity.”

“The light dispels darkness, yes, but doesn’t it work the other way too? The darkness consumes the light, no? Or is he just that much stronger than you?” he inquired, stroking his chin.

“I’m afraid you are only half correct. The light is truly advantageous here as it does repel darkness, or to be more precise, banishes it from the space it exists in,” she explained in response. “But, I can see why you would be confused after your recent actions. Your darkness is different because you are a True Dragon, even one of a primordial line coming down from the black progenitor. You are most likely the only one able to consume the light, and anything else.”

“Does that mean Master is stronger than you?” Miria’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she peered at the almost almighty entity in front of them.

Thankfully, Abyss didn’t seem to take offense with her words.

“Perhaps not at the moment, but in the future? His potential would be vast as just a normal True Dragon, but a being at least twice as capable? It’s hardly possible to gauge. If his kin wasn’t so proud and self-centered, the universe might have been in much more trouble. His people are already feared in multiple worlds, but if they shared his studious and improving mindset, barely anyone would be able to stand in their way,” the ancient woman shared her thoughts.

“That sounds both like a compliment and a scary thought.” Asterios chuckled warmly. “Some old people in Kraedorion would piss themselves after just imagining this.”

“Well, they might need to start getting used to the idea because what do you think will happen when we start popping out your little Dragons, my Lord?” Selene grinned impishly, bringing quite a few blushes onto the faces of the more timid ladies, turning one or two completely crimson.

He sighed heavily. “I already fear what’s going to come from our union considering the result brought forth by my parents. I’m afraid the universe isn’t ready for it.”

His mates laughed openly while the fox lady huffed indignantly, directing a happy smile his way. Just the way that he wasn’t denying it or changing the topic made her very felicitous. He was thinking about the effects, not considering it. Such a statement made her feel a certain way, and she was certain the others were experiencing it too. Especially a certain amorous panthergirl.

They chatted for a little longer, the topics mostly revolving around what kind of children they would have, trying to come up with combinations of character traits from both parents. In the end, the vision of a female True Dragon inheriting Ast’s charm and Selene’s mischievous nature won the contest as the biggest threat to all known worlds, her mere presence throwing the strongest males into war for her hand.

Though, it would be a tough win considering the person they needed the permission of, the only Dual-Hearted Progenitor-Class True Dragon in existence.

“Okay. We should continue.” Asterios interrupted their theorycrafting when it got too creative. “Do you still remember the positions of the other two facilities, Abyss?”

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“Naturally.” The ominous lady nodded. “But we are much further from them than before. It might be a wiser choice to use the token again and locate ones closer to our current position.”

“Actually, do we even need to do that?” Tina thought out loud. “I think I can see another fortress that way, far in the distance. We should find a cluster below it if our theory is correct, right?”

He followed her gaze and enhanced his eyes, jumping forward over quite the distance. As his lovely Summoner girlfriend had said, he could spot the faintest shimmer of white on the black background, glinting in the golden shine from the seal. The badge would most likely point them there or equally as far.

“This massive interconnected structure sure makes it easier now,” Asterios commented. “I agree with Tina. It’s better not to attract more attention to us. Anything related to light might trigger the residents even more as they assume it’s connected to this phenomenon. This still looks like a few days of travel too.”

So, they first took a good look around to see if they couldn’t spot anything in other directions before getting ready for another trip through the darkness. The one Tina had brought to their attention seemed to be the only perceivable thing in the sky. At least as far as the horizon went. Their destination was set, then.

Asterios transformed into his shadowy form and swallowed the ladies into his spiritual belly. He pushed himself as far as he could to cover the distance within the shortest time. Even though he had gotten stronger, they underestimated how much of an impact the sudden change in the realm’s structure would have on its inhabitants.

Most beings were in pure panic mode, not knowing what to do or think. Many were trying to move but quickly noticed that there was no escape from the wide net. The next obvious choice was the ground, and so plenty of monsters and entities capable of burrowing made their new dwellings deep in whatever soil they lived in.

Some were actually hurt by the glow that reached the ground from up high. Umbra was fine, but he belonged to the more powerful group while the weaker creatures seemed either inconvenienced by the light or straight-up killed by it. Even the surface itself reacted in different ways, depending on the nature of the specific region. The black smoking grass disappeared in some parts.

The number of general shadows fell greatly too, the world no longer being enveloped in eternal darkness.

It took Asterios about three days to find his way to the other fortress. He flew them around and found what had to be its entrance, landing in front of it and letting his mates out before shifting back. This one wasn’t damaged and they found a full disc inside the keyhole, but it was impossible to pry it off to replace it with theirs or take it with them. Deciding not to try and break into the structure, they examined the land below, looking for signs of another facility. There had to be some kind of activity above it brought forth by the ambient mana.

“What is… this?” Tina frowned as they took in the sights below them.

Even from so high up, they could see the winding paths of gold making up a somewhat artistic pattern, like a bright tattoo on the surface of the dark realm. They could tell that it wasn’t supposed to be an array or anything else just from a glance. That was purely aesthetic. There were even some buildings between the exquisite routes, hints of some kind of a community living there.

But, the most surprising part was another chasm, this time smaller, and clearly artificial. It was more of a spiraling descent with stairs going down the hole’s rough walls. Asterios peered further into it and saw creatures a mix of black and white moving in two constant lines, one going up and the other down. The atmosphere was rather weird.

“It seems they have found the facility like the Darklings did,” Selene noted. “But, in this case, it might be more difficult to sneak in.”

“We shouldn’t assume they are hostile,” Miria said with a cheerful grin. “Maybe they are as kind as our short friends?”

“It’s time to verify that,” Asterios replied. “It would be a waste of time to seek another cluster so perhaps we can convince them to let us in or give them a little scare if worse comes to worst. It’s for the betterment of their lives so I’m sure they will understand one day.”

With that, they descended on his back and hopped off on the edge of the furthest golden marking. It gave off the vibes of a road, one that would fit five carriages side-by-side, but no one was using it. And there were entities moving around. Coming closer, Asterios and the ladies examined them carefully.

Like most residents of Umbra’s homeworld, these guys were fairly dark too, with one major difference. Their upper bodies wore what resembled pure white robes, a fashion choice not picked that often here. But, starting from the bottom, they stood on eight long spider-like legs connected to a horizontal platform. Then, their furry bodies formed a fairly humanoid torso and everything above from the middle of the fleshy square, save for the number of arms, which was six. Their heads resembled that of an insect but one they had never seen before.

Soon enough, they were noticed by the edge of the settlement.

“Outsiders!” One of the creatures hissed and many turned to them immediately.

Ast’s party tensed as multiple entities ran straight to them, giving it their all to reach the newcomers as fast as possible. Ready to defend themselves, they froze in consternation as all but one of their assailants started bowing lower than their midsections while the remaining individual threw their arms to the sky.

“Outsiders! Come! Pray!” it screeched with its clicky accent.

“The end is near!” the others chanted in unison. “We pray!”

The ladies blinked in confusion while exchanging glances.

“Pray? The end?” Asterios frowned at the welcoming committee.

“To the Destroyer’s Spirit! So you might be spared from the final judgment!” The main one bowed a few times too. “Come with us! Pray! Every voice matters!”

“We pray!” the others repeated.

~What’s with this realm and all the fanatics?~ Asterios chuckled inside his bond with his companions. ~Now it’s getting religious.~

~I think we should accept,~ Althea suggested. ~They might take us where we need to go. Or at least show us around.~

“Very well. We will pray with you. Do we do that anywhere or…” He raised a brow at the skittering monsters.

“It’s too late to pray on the streets! We have to bow before the Destroyer’s Spirit in its sacred abode!” the leader explained. “Follow us! The High Priest will be overjoyed for an outsider’s prayer!”

Their new friends turned around and sped away, forcing Ast’s group to run after them. These entities had the advantage of legs and didn’t shy away from making use of it. In a few seconds, they were in the middle of a crude stone village with many of its inhabitants slowly heading in the direction of the descent. The only thing that looked cared after was the golden road, which led right to the pit.

The flow of traffic was quite tedious, but Asterios and the girls didn’t want to offend their hosts. Following their customs, they joined the line and headed to the stairs while surrounded by praying spider-crabs, as they decided to call those people, missing the chance to ask about their species. It came mostly from the fact that they ran sideways, moving normally at lower speeds.

It took a while, but Ast’s group finally made it deep into the chasm and their eyes widened slightly. At the very bottom, lay the familiar white chambers and connectors of the buried facility. This one was almost fully excavated, though. More than that, judging by the moving people, its entrance was open somehow, perhaps due to a malfunction or something.

Surprised at such an unexpected development, they followed the praying creatures who chanted their litany repeatedly with all six hands held together in front of them and slipped into the white hideout, a bit worried if it wasn’t inactive. But, no, the golden trenches in the walls were gleaming with power. The cluster was still there.

And Asterios was starting to suspect what the Destroyer’s Spirit exactly was.

All the surfaces around them were adorned with crude drawings, pictograms, and sentences, with not a single space missed. Of all the cults they had previously met in the Nethernight Realm, this one might be the craziest. But, if the spider-crabs had been affected by the cluster’s spiritual energy, it wasn’t impossible for them to turn a little insane.

Taking a few tight turns, they reached their main destination, which was the sizable core chamber. Inside, they found even more black script all over its surfaces, which culminated around the cluster. It was kind of funny to think of how it stopped at a safe distance which had to be figured out by rather conventional means of moving closer until the defenses activated. Asterios wondered how many of these guys lost their lives just to create this scene.

The believers formed multiple rings around the floating sphere, each circle bowing at a different time as they all went through their mantra. Not wanting to get into that, Ast’s party stepped out of the line and moved to stand on the sidelines, their hosts content on ignoring them now that they were in an important place of prayer.

“What do you make out of it, Master?” Miria whispered into his ear.

“Don’t know. I have no idea how these guys ended up like this,” he replied quietly.

“It’s all thanks to the prophecy.” A deeper but still clicky voice reached them and they found a slightly taller spider-crab watching them intently, its white robes adorned with a golden trim as the only one in the room.

This had to be the High Priest.

“Prophecy?” Tina inquired.

“The return of the Destroyer,” it answered with a resigned calm. “The day the shatters into a million fragments, the end of the world is nigh. The Destroyer shall return and finish the job through its might. Many chose to fight, but they all fell. Now all we can do is pray to its spirit and beg to be spared from the upcoming annihilation.”

They looked at each other pointedly, then directed their gazes to Selene. It was fortunate that these creatures didn’t exactly have a lot of information on that Destroyer, because it was fairly obvious what person they had in mind. Umbra didn’t mention any other otherworldly invaders who had so much influence over his home.

How these beings connected the facilities to the invader was still a mystery, though.

“And you, who exactly are you?” The spiritual leader regarded them with a pondering tone.

Asterios considered thoroughly how to introduce himself and his group without sparking some grand conflict or misunderstanding. The Darklings worshiped Kaguya, but these guys were closer to fearing her so much her return was seen as the destruction of all life. Yet, they treated the cluster with religious respect, bowing and praying to it. Their attire and the golden road had to have come from its mana too.

Before he could come to a decision, a sly grin snuck onto Tina’s lovely lips and she patted him on the back.

“I’m glad you asked!” She puffed out her chest proudly. “This here is the Messiah, and all of us are his Apostles! Fret not anymore, as he has stepped into your world to prevent the destruction you so pitifully await! His darkness exists just so he can consume the Destroyer’s Spirit and prevent it from regaining its scattered power! Be glad as your prayers have been answered!”

Rubbing his eyes, Asterios sighed heavily.

There was no way this would work.